Nov/100
Great Holidays for Diving and Snorkelling
Is diving beneath the waves something you've always dreamed of? Well these holidays are becoming more and ore available to those who do not want to spend a fortune to do it. These types of holiday have become more and more popular of the past decade, with long distance flights shorter and cheaper than ever before, making it possible to visit the rarest of marine life.
Whether you want to snorkel or or dive there are packages and resorts to suit all levels of experience. Australia's Great Barrier reef is famous for it's sheer diversity of aquatic life with over 1,500 specials of tropical fish. It's one of the worlds top scuba diving locations, it is even visible from space, from the north Lizard island down to Great Palm island in the south and covers over 2,000 Km. The premier time to go is between August and December due to the best diving weather and breeding seasons, however it can make a fabulous holiday all year round. Live abroad holidays are an attractive offer in between July to November, where you stay on a fully stocked chartered dive boat to move around in comfort.
Egypt has now become known as a diver's paradise as not only are the crystal clear Red Sea waters primed for diving but the main resorts provide training for divers of all levels by PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certified teachers through the many private companies, diving schools/colleges and dive centres within, or affiliated to, the larger hotels. With inexpensive open water diving permits attainable for beginners, you can take a course and progress your levels of scuba proficiency within no time. Sharm El Sheikh on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula is known as one of its top sites with the main options off of Na'ama Bay, Sharm El Maya and Ras Um Sid Cliff. Hurghada specialises in both diving the deep-sea marine biodiversity on offer and snorkelling the shallow water reefs around the bays and there are daily trips to world-renowned main dive sites including offshore atolls such as the famous Giftun Island.
For more experienced divers, there is what has been named as the "Garden of Eden" in Indonesia; so called as is has the most diverse range of marine life in it's reef. In the middle of the "Coral Triangle" from Australia to the Phillipines, over to to Borneo and then to the South Pacific.The Banda islands such as Konode, Raja, Ampa and Sulawesi and it is best to visit from April to December. You will se everything from sunk WWII boats, through to the hyper modern.
Diving off of South East Asia can be easily achieved from a liveaboard out of Phuket in Thailand during the peak season of October to May. This is probably one of the best ways to access another renowned destination, with the West coast jewel of the Similan Islands. A protected National Park, this archipelago of 9 small islands offers a rich diversity and high colour among its many sea fans, granite boulders and corals at Christmas Point and Elephant Head Rock. Liveaboards are also the only way to really see the celebrated Galapagos Islands as many of the best dive sites from these volcanic islands are unreachable from land like the Wolf and Darwin islands and Gordon's Rock. There are two seasons upon which to visit with the wet season from January to June and the dry from July to December. A holiday here is a must for anybody passionate about scuba diving as the oceans surrounding these protected islands are densely populated and thriving with a raft of aquatic organisms, such as its submerged flora and rare tropical marine life.
Whether its deep-sea discoveries in the Maldives, blue holes in Belize or underwater explorations of the Azores; divingis now a popular add-on to any holiday. Pre-book your aquatic adventure and get ready for one of the most rewarding educational experiences of a lifetime.